Water wash booth



Jan. 22, 1952 J; PAASCHE 2,583,390

WATER WASH BOOTH Filed Sept. 1. 1949 2 sPEE'rs -Sm'r 1 IN VEN TOR.

Jan. 22, 1952 J, p sc 2,583,390

WATER WASHBOOTH Filed Sept. 1. 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Jan. 22, 1952 WATER WASH BOOTH Jens A. Paasche, Wilmette, Ill. Applicationseptember 1, 1949, Serial No. 113.588

- 1 Claim.

In the modern mass production of coated objects, the paint or other coating is usually'applied by means of airpainting apparatus. In the use of airpainting apparatus, an excess of coating material is discharged into the air surrounding the objects being coated. The health of workmen using the airpainting equipment and the safety of the equipment in the vicinity of the spraying operation require that the excess coating material be effectively collected. This is usually accomplished by means of a water wash booth which is associated with the airpaintin apparatus so as to convey the excess coating material by means of an air current into a water curtain and through a water spray which washes the excess coating material and other impurities into a suitable settlin tank. These water wash booths are usually equipped with a battle construction which is designed to diffuse water through the incoming air for removing the impurities and a second baflie construction designed to eliminate moisture from the air before it is discharged from the booth.

- The effectiveness with which the water is mingled with the incoming air current to facilitate the removal of the impurities from the air and the effectiveness with which the moisture is eliminated from the air after it has been washed free of the impurities largely determine the reception which a particular type of water wash booth is accorded by users of airpainting apparatus.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved water wash booth for use in connection with airpainting equipment; to provide an improved baffie construction for use in air conditioning apparatus; to provide an improved baffle construction particularly suitable for use in booths in which air currents are washed of impurities by passage through a water spray; to provide an improved baflie construction of this kind which may be used either to diffuse the water through the air current or to eliminate moisture which is efficient in operation, simple and durable in construction, and which may be readily cleaned.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective of an improved water wash booth particularly designed for use with airpainting apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the upper baflie, the view being taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the upper baffle.

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the lower baflle, the view being taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lower baffle.

from the washed air; to provide an improved form Figure '7 is an enlarged developed view of one end of one of the bafiie plates of the bottom tier of the upper bafiie showing the triangular end reenforcing section.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the same in folded form.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the outer end of the settling tank.

In the construction herein shown, the improved water wash booth comprises a sheet metal housing having side walls l0 and II, a rear wall i2, front wall 13 having an inlet opening l4, and-a top wall [5 having an exhaust outlet I6 at the rear end thereof. A suitable exhaust fan not shown is mounted above the opening l6 for causing a flow of air through the booth.

Removably supported in the center of the booth is a vertically disposed partition l'l forming a water curtain baflie which divides the booth into a forward collecting chamber l8 and a rearward water wash chamber I9. This baiiie is preferably a sheet metal plate having one or more clips 20 on its rear face for detachable engagement with the forward member 2! of a frame 22 mounted at the lower end of the chamber l9. The upper end of the baffle I! is inserted in aslot or pocket 23 formed in the front wall of an overflow pan 24 which extends transversely across the upper part of the booth and which is supported at its ends by the side walls If) and l I.

It will thus be apparent that the water curta baffle may be removed for cleaning and also to permit access to the rear chamber I9 by lifting it so as to disengage the clips 20 from the frame x'nernberzLv .4

Water is conveyed to the pan 24 by a manifold pipe 25 provided with an end cap 25.! and having a series of depending spouts 26 extending below the normal water level. Turbulence is prevented and proper diffusion of the water efiected by means of a vertically disposed baffle 21 extending across the top of the pan.

Water overflows the forward edge of the pan and cascades to form a water curtain across the entire partition If! to collect impurities from the air which is driven rearwardly against the water curtain from the airpainting equipment.

To collect the impurities, there is mounted in the bottom of the booth a settling tanl; 2t having one end projecting beyond the side wall It to form a reservoir 29 provided with a removable cover 30. The forward end 1 the settlingtanh has a perforated cover plate 3| which forms the fioor of the collecting chamber 18. The rear edge.

of this cover plate 3| spaced from the lower edge of the water curtain baiile. H; to define a throat. 32.- through whichthequrtain. of wa e i cascaded;

Water enters the reservoinlfimthroug h a supply pipe 33 having a float-controlled valve Mounted in the reservoirare baflle plates 35 and 3S and a pair. of remoyable screens 31. Water from the booth circulates around thebaffles 35 and 3.6 and through the screens 31 and is returned to the; booth by.-aS,.u i-tab1e pump 38'driven byan electric motor 3,19;

The, outlet end. of the pump, communicates with a vertical pipe 40 connected; to one-end of a. horizontal manifold pipe. 41 extending through the center of the water wash chamber [9i and provided with, a. serieslofs downwardl diverging spouts 42-. for spraying water intothe lower part of the chamber I9.

The othenendof themanifold pipe 4]; is, connected to a vertical pipe 43 leading to one end of the manifold pipe.25.which .supplies water to the overflow pan. The. flow of; water, to. the overflow pan, and: consequently the. character of: the water curtain cascading over thebalile. I .1. iscontrolled bya valve 44 actuated by a rod. 4.5;having a handle 45 adjacent the-front of the booth.

Mounted ontheframe 22.at the lower end of the chamberler. is animproved formof baffle 4.7 adaptedtoseparate from the airstreamany coatiIlg particles. or.. other. impurities. which have not been. washed into the settling tank bythecase cading water. curtain passing through the-throat 32.

. Supported on. brackets 48. and 49 above the manifoldpipe 4!. is another baffle 50. adapted to remove moisture from theair. stream before it is exhausted; through the outlet I 6 Thelbafile 50 is disposed horizontally, whereas the bafile .41 is tilted downwardly .andrearwardly so as, to position its rear end'slightly abovelthe level of the water in the settlingtank.

The improved bafile. constructions 4:1: and. 50. are assemblies of sections of single. and multiple tiers of specially-formed'sheet metalangle plates. The lower bafile 41 is made up of aplurality of sections each comprising asingle row-.of angle plates, whereas the upper baflle. 50 is formed of several sections each comprising a. plurality, of tiers of angle plates.

The upper bafiie 55. comprises three, tiers. of angle plates 5| each formed with one leg 53-more than twice as long as the other leg 54, asis most clearly apparent in Fig. 3. The angleplatesior the lowertier of the bafiieidhave.triangulareX;

tensions 55 at the ends of the longer 1egs,5:

5 45 to the general plane of the bafile.

are bent at right angles to abut and be bonded to the ends of the shorter leg 54 of each angle plate, as is most clearly apparent in Figs. '7 and 8. This construction ensures a greater rigidity for the series of angle plates 5! which are directly attached to end support plates 56 which rest on the brackets 48 and 49.

The angle plates 5| for the two upper tiers of the baille 50 generally do not have these extensions 55. However, these upper tiers of angle plates 5! may be so constructed if desired.

In each tier of the baflle 50, the plates 5| are so positioned that the corresponding legs are all disposed in parallel planes at an angle of about Moreover, the plates 51 of each tier are spaced apart from one anotherso as to provide air passage gaps 5! between the outer edges of the short legs 54 of one plate 5| and the lon leg 53 of an adjacent plate.

h rheflle Q Str Q n th top and bottom rows on tiers; of plates 5! are supported in spaced relationship by an intermediate row of similar plates. This intermediat row of plates is reversed andthe legsthereof are bonded to the opposite legs o f the. alternate rows or tiers of plates so as to dispose; the plates of alternate rows or tiers in pairs substantially in alinement normal to the general plane of the baffle.

As illustratedin Figs,- 5;and 6, the. lower baflle 41 comprisesasinglgtierof-plates 58 mountedon a pair of endbars; 5 9 whiehrest onthe irameZZ for removably supporting;tlregbafile. These plates 58 are disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation toone anothenat an angle of about; 453

to the general plane ofgth e baffle. The upper and lower edges of each plate; are bent atlobtuse angles to form short legs fi ll and 6|, and thetwo ends of each plate have extensions 62, bent at right anglesto the -plate .to form end walls which are bonded to the legs; 60, 6|, as well as to the supporting barsfiS With either of these bafile constructions 41, or the rising air; current drawn upwardly through the; chamber I31 by the exhaust. fan is caused to travel through a tortuous path.

The lower bafile; construction 41" hasthe addi tional function Off breaking up and deflecting the descending particles of Waterand so diffusing them through and mixingthem with the rising air currents as to contact and carry downwardly into the settlin tank any particles of coating material not eliminatedby contact of the air. current with the. sheetof water cascading-down the partition H and through the opening 32.

For he e a .c ns r ti n. fil h sm ti ple deflection of the mOisture laden;air-current results in a, veryhigh; degree of; eli nination oi moisture; fromthe air before it" is; drawn out through the exhaust Theseo d; batt es; e. ct all e cleaning. Furthermoreall of the surfaces of tl e plates 51 are; casilyl accessibletopermit there; 1 y Scraper; .$h 5' 41 5. ac umul t ons of coating; material that-may have'a tendency to adhere thereto.

In the operation ofthis. improved water wash booth, the water in the reservoir, 2-9 isconstantly maintained at the desiredlevel through the operation ofthe fioat-controlledvalve 34.. When the motor 39 is. inoperation, the pump 33forces water from the reservoirldthrough the pipes 48;. 4.1 43, and 25;. Theentirelowerportion ofthe wash chamber IQissubstantially filled with watersprays from; the -.spouts -42 and;the-pan.2. 4 is.co n.-,

stantly filled with water from the spouts 25 of the pipe 25. The water in the pan 24 overflows the forward edge of the pan and cascades downwardly in the form of a curtain which completely covers the partition I7.

The airpainting equipment is operated in or directly in front of the opening IA of the booth.

Durin the operation of the exhaust fan located above the outlet 15, the air is driven rearwardly through the chamber I8, then downwardly through the throat 32 and upwardly through the baffles 47 and 50 of the water wash chamber l9 from which it escapes through the outlet 16.

During the operation of the airpainting equipment the excess particles of coating and other impurities in the air stream are driven against the downwardly cascading water curtain and most of these particles are carried by the water curtain into the settling tank below the chamber I9. The water curtain has a tendency to pass inwardly around the lower edge of the partition l7 and along the bottom of the baffle 41 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 2. Any remaining particles of coatin material or impurities which are not initially washed into the settling tank by the water curtain are carried upwardly by the air stream through the lower bafile 41. The combined action of the lower bafiie 41 and the water sprays in the chamber 19 separates from the upwardly moving stream of air substantially all of the remaining particles or impurities so that when the air reaches the upper baffle 50, it is laden with moisture but is substantially free of all impurities.

In passing through the upper baflie 50, substantially all moisture is removed from the air so that the air which is finally exhausted by the fan above the outlet I6 is substantially free of all moisture and impurities.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claim:

Iclaim:

An air washing booth of the class described comprising, a housing having an open front for the admission of an air stream and having an exhaust adjacent the rear top part of said housing for the discharge of said air stream, a vertical partition located in said housing intermediate the front and back thereof to form a washing chamber rearwardly of said partition communicating with said exhaust, said partition being spaced from the bottom of said housing to form an air passage around the lower end of said partition leading to said washing chamber, water spray means located in said wash chamber above said passage, a row of removable angle plates supported in spaced relationship across said wash chamber below said Water spray means, said plates being positioned with the legs thereof inclined to the horizontal and with the plates facing downwardly, said plates being also spaced apart horizontally thereby providing a passage between adjacent plates wherein a rising air current is intermingled with a water spray dispersed by said plates. a plurality of horizontal tiers of angle plates arranged across said wash booth above said water spray means, said plates being spaced apart horizontally in said tiers with the corresponding legs of said plates all parallel and with the plates facing downwardly, said plates of alternate tiers being disposed in approximate vertical alinement and the intermediate tier of plates being reversed with respect to the plates of said alternate tiers and having the legs of said intermediate tier of plates overlying and bonded to the opposite legs of adjacent plates, the horizontal spacing of said plates being such that the edge of one leg of a plate is approximately in vertical alinement with the edge of the other leg of the adjacent plate, means for providing a supply of water to said spray means, an elongated overfiow pan having an edge which coincides with the upper edge of said partition, a nozzle extending into said pan for supplying water thereto, a vertically disposed baflle extend- 111g longitudinally of said pan and below said nozzle in said pan, said baiiie being located intermediate said nozzle and said upper edge of said partition whereby water from said pan overflows said partition and flows down the front thereof at a uniform rate.

JENS A. PAASCHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,678,844 Bradshaw July 31, 1928 1,745,908 Paasche Feb. 4, 1930 2,125,271 Dahlman Aug. 2, 1938 2,221,073 Bubar Nov. 12, 1940 2,247,285 Bingman June 24, 1941 2,266,335 Roche, Jr., et a1. Dec. 16, 1941 2,278,432 Dunn Apr. 7, 1942 2,356,192 Yingling Aug. 22, 1944 2,395,960 Clark Mar. 5, 1946 

